Wolverines are vulnerable to climate change and trapping, with their wide-ranging lifestyle and low reproductive rate making populations sensitive to human pressures.
Wolverines caught in traps experience significant suffering through capture stress, injury, and exposure. Traditional leghold traps cause physical injuries and distress over extended periods. Climate-driven habitat loss forces wolverines into smaller and less suitable areas, reducing food availability and reproductive success. Protecting sufficient snowpack habitat and ending commercial trapping are direct welfare interventions for this sensitive species.